Basket ball



7 June 25, 1929.

G. L. PlERCE BASKET BALL Filed Mal ch 5, 192a 0i mute:

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING & BROS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BASKET BALL.

Application filed March 5, 1928. Serial No. 259,040.

As heretofore constructed, basket balls have been made with the panels tapering down to narrow points which, in the assembly, extend into the polar regions of the ball. leaving so little room at these points that the valve enclosing seam structures have to be placed in the equatorial portion of the ball. Such construction establishes an unbalanced condition when the ball is held in the hands at the poles as it usually is. These points, furthermore, weaken the polar regions, rendering them less able to stand the.

stresses to which they are subjected. Also, in the cutting of the hides, the points are taken from the weaker sections of the hides and the greatest waste of material, where the centers of the panels are cut out to receive the points, occurs in the best part of the hide.

The objects of the invention are to overcome and eliminate so far as possible the objections and faults above noted and to provide a basket ball construction in which the greatest strength will be had at the poles, in which the ball will be properly balanced and in which the best portions of the hide will be saved and used in the pole portions of the ball.

These and other desirable objects are attained by certain novel features of construction, combination and relations of parts, as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, one practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated, but it should be understood that certain modifications and changes may be made without departure from the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side view looking at the equatorial portion of the ball.

Figures 2 and 3 are end or polar views of the ball.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the way in which the panels are taken out, of the hide, showing first the old style pointed type of panel and second, the improved blunt ended and enlarged pole form of panel oi the present invention.

Figure 5 is an illustration showing by way of comparison, one of the pointed panel forms of ball.

As shown in Figure 4, the panels of which the balls are made are usually cut from the side (5 of a hide, between the back bone line at the top and the belly or under side portion at the bottom, and material about midway between these points is the strongest and best suited to the purpose. Consequently, with the present form of panels, such as shown at the left in this view, the points or tips 7 are the weakest parts, extending as they do into the inferior upper and lower border portions of the hide and the strongest part of the hide is removed from the notch 8 cut in the center of the panel. Y

Figure 5 shows how in the completed ball, the points or tips 7 of adjacent panels ex-. tend into and are secured in the deep notches 8 of other panels and shows how the cutting of these notches leaves very little of the stronger hide portion at the poles of the ball and shows how the stresses come on the points of the panels which are the least strong, both because of their narrow pointed shape and because of being the inferior grade of leather taken from the edges of the hide. Also, it will be noted that the triangular portions 9 removed from between adjoining blanks to form the notches constitute a considerable waste, and in the best, most valuable part of the hide.

In the present invention, the panels are cut out, as shown at the right at 10 in F igure 4, shorter in length, with abrupt concavely curved ends 11 and with correspondingly convexly curved projections 12 at the centers to meet and finish out the cut off ends, in the manner indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. These polar projections, as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 3, provide relatively wide'polar areas, amply sufiicient for the closure seam 13 at one pole and the inflating valve 14 at the opposite pole, the closure and the valve practically balancing each other. Being located thus at the poles, the closure and the valve do not upset the balance of the ball when it is held in the hands by the poles.

In providing a greater amount of the best quality leather at the poles, a corresponding saving in the waste of the best leather is effected, as indicated at 15 in Figure 4, which shows that the triangular piece removed between adjacent blanks is considerably less, by an amount equal to the full radial extent of the projection 12. The blunt ends 11 of the panels afford much better edges for taking the stress at the poles and also produce a more nearly perfect spherical shape. Because of this greater symmetry, as well as the better balance, the ball actually Will per form better, can be played with greater accuracy and is more desirable in every Way.

\Vhat is claimed is:

-1. A case for a game ball, composed of panels, each of which has length equal to a major part of the ball circumference, one continuously curved side edge, opposite, shorter, separately curved side edges, a coin veXly curved polar projection intermediate the separately curved side edges, and concavel'y curved ends to fit portions of the polar projections of another panel, the panels being connected together in pairs along said continuously curved side edges, and separately curved side edges of the panels of one pair being connected to similar edges of panels of another pair, and the concavely curved ends of the panels of one pair being connected to the polar projections of panels of another pair.

2. A case for a game ball, composed of four panels, each of which has length equal to a major part of the ball circumference, one long continuously curved side edge, opposite, shorter, separately curved side edges, a convexly curved polar projection intermediate the separately curved edges, and concave- GEORGE L. PIERCE. 

